You're building a straw man argument here. The point I'm trying to make is that Tracy had good years with the Rockets and really did play his heart out trying to win. I'm not saying the NBA needs asterisks or to change history. We all know what it is. He doesn't deserve a retired jersey and I don't care if he makes the hall of fame. Some people try change the facts with their emotions. McGrady was a great player and that is not erased by the fact that he was injured and gave up. On the flip side, the fact that he is a lazy egotistical maniac is not erased by the fact that he is a good player. HOWEVER - I wish we had found success via his and Yao's attempts to carry dead weight on their shoulders. I think TMac played well enough individually that he doesn't deserve the 'first round' legacy that will always be attached to him.
What happened with T-Mac was unfortunate, but people shouldn't hate on him as much as they do. Where would we have been without T-Mac? Sure we had Yao, but we would have probably been just a mediocre team. All of those playoff runs (while they were upsetting) could have been late lottery seasons. You know, the ones we freaking hate. I would much rather have a playoff team, albeit a low one, rather than a mediocre team who just can't quite sniff the playoffs. Without T-Mac, we would have been the latter.
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/CmLR_VgbqAA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
First you say: "McGrady was a great player" Than you say: "He is a good player" Which is it???? What's separates a good player from a great player in your opinion? I think we all agree McGrady was a good player, but a great player? Great players have rings or they have at least gone deep in the post season, or at least got out of the 1st rd at least once. Do great players flat out QUIT on the guys you're going into battle with the way McGrady did? Do great players throw the guys you're going into battle with under the bus as Stacy did? Do great players NEVER get out of the 1st rd of the playoffs during a career that lasted SIXTEEN yrs? You McGrady fans crack me up!!!! He played for the Rockets but he wasn't a Rocket. If he was such a great Rocket than why did EVERYONE boo him every time he came back to play in Houston? Come on McGrady fans PLEASE answer this question!!!! Pull your head out of the sand and quit denying the facts. McGrady can make excuses of "if he would have played with Shaq" etc. You know what EVERY player who ever played with McGrady can say? They would have had a better chance of winning a title as well if they played with Shaq instead of a NO HEART....QUITTING team leader like Stacy!!!!!
lol, you don't know TrollTown is the greatest troll in Clutchfans history? he's not a McGrady fan, he's not a Lebron fan and he's not UT fan and he's not a Rockets fan. but I think he's probably better than the lin fans.
Without Tmac, Toronto advanced in the playoffs the next year he left. Without Tmac, Orlando got Dwight Howard and he took them to the finals. Without Tmac, Ron Artest, Yao, Scola, Aaron Brooks finally advanced to the finals. Without Tmac the last several years, the Hawks always advanced in the playoffs. Without Tmac last year, The Quindao Doublestar Eagles weren't in last place.
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/CC3tQD9We_k" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
I don't think T-Mac even has any friends in the NBA. I've never heard any stories about him building rapport with his teammates. There's Yao, sure, but it's Yao, who's a super nice guy, most of the time. The 07-09 Rockets (Landry, Scola, Battier, Brooks, Lowry, Hayes) which were a super tight-knit group ever rarely talked about him.
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/8Da0k2_67uo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
This one is probably right. Jordan's Bulls beat Olajuwon's Rockets is absolutely correct as well :grin:
bad attempt at baiting. you know it's bad when the announcers predicting you are going to diss your teammate for taking a last shot (referencing McGrady in NYC)
Battier got a tribute <iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/FvgSATLSTHE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
were you even alive in the early 90s? Obviously they never faced in the playoffs, but when they faced each other in the early 90s, the Rockets were the dominant team. Michael Jordan and Phil Jackson have not denied their matchup problems with the Rockets. I hope you could guess where the Rockets had their advantage. hint: <iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/y-FbhBM9uvU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Educated yourself if you are Rockets fans about this: http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?t=144008 You ARE NOT A ROCKETS FAN if you SUPPORTED THE 90s BULLS. Paper: HOUSTON CHRONICLE Date: SAT 01/05/1991 Section: Sports Page: 5 Edition: 2 STAR Cartwright earns rugged reputation By EDDIE SEFKO Staff They don't call Chicago's Bill Cartwright the "Towering Infirmary" for nothing. The Bulls' 7-foot-1 center is one of the nicer players in the league off the court, but his reputation as an elbow-flinger on the court has made him one of the most feared players in the league. Now the Rockets know how Cartwright can be a health hazard. His elbow has put Akeem Olajuwon out for a month, and the Rockets are not the least bit happy about it. "Any time you have a player with a history like Cartwright's, I think you have to take a closer look when something like this happens," Rockets general manager Steve Patterson said. "Throwing elbows is a function of the style he plays. "But if you know a guy is going to play that way, then you should call the fouls because he's hurting people. "I'm not saying Bill Cartwright is a bad guy, but when people keep getting hurt, you have to wonder." And people do keep getting hurt by Cartwright. Six times in the last two seasons, he's been responsible for sending players to the sideline with injuries. On Friday, Patterson made a telephone call to Rod Thorn, the NBA's vice president for operations. Thorn is in charge of administrative procedures on all acts of violence within the league. "Rod said he reviewed the tape, and the elbow looked unintentional," Patterson said. "But I can't think of anybody else who has been fined for the use of his elbows more than Cartwright has." There will be no fines administered in the case of Olajuwon's injury. Cartwright and Olajuwon were going for a rebound when Cartwright's elbow dug into Olajuwon's right eye socket. Olajuwon has a blowout fracture of the floor and medial wall of the orbit, which houses the eyeball. The Rockets, naturally, think there should be some restitution paid by Cartwright. But the blow came during the course of physical play under the basket. "We've got a history of a guy hurting other players," Patterson said. "As we all know, you can make something look unintentional, even if it's intentional." Though the Rockets might forever think Cartwright was trying to inflict harm on Olajuwon, the only sure thing is that Olajuwon felt Cartwright's brunt for the second time in his career. In 1986, Olajuwon injured his right knee when he became entangled with Cartwright in New York when Cartwright was with the Knicks. "Akeem's a two-time loser to Cartwright," Patterson said. "In New York, he rolled right over on Akeem to injure his knee." Last season, the NBA investigated Cartwright's style of play, and Rod Thorn said: "Bill's a good guy, but there have been complaints. And he's been known to throw his elbows around." Cartwright has had to defend himself in the past. And he will have to defend himself again this time. He always throws up the same defense. When he had four incidents in the span of a month in the 1988-89 season, he claimed it was just coincidence. "You collide with four or five guys over several years," he said. "It just happens that it's all coming at one time now. "It's like you don't get stopped for speeding for years, then you get stopped three times in a month. "As far as guys getting hurt, that's not good, but it's just something that happens in this game." But when Cartwright is around, it just seems to happen more often. ................................................................. Struck down Players who have felt the point of Bill Cartwright's elbows, with date, player injured, team, injury inflicted and time missed or recovery period: Nov. 25, 1986 - Akeem Olajuwon, Houston, sprained right knee, missed 7 games. Jan. 3, 1989 - Greg Kite, Sacramento, severely bruised cheekbone (4 games). Jan. 31, 1989 - Isiah Thomas, Detroit, facial cut (6 stitches). Feb. 16, 1989 - Fred Roberts, Milwaukee, fractured cheekbone (surgery; missed 2 months). April 7, 1989 - Isiah Thomas, Detroit, fractured left hand in a fight with Cartwright (missed rest of regular season). Nov. 7, 1990 - Horace Grant, Chicago, cut over right eye (4 stitches). Jan. 3, 1991 - Akeem Olajuwon, Houston, fractured bone in eye socket (out indefinitely). [/QUOTE]